NILES — Though the laws surrounding recreational marijuana are still murky, the city of Niles is looking to make sense of them within city limits.

At a meeting of the Niles Planning Commission Tuesday, the commission discussed recreational marijuana and what to recommend to the Niles City Council in terms of recreational marijuana. After two hours of discussion, the commission conceded that though there are still many unknowns regarding recreational marijuana laws, it would recommend that the city of Niles opt-in for recreational marijuana, which was legalized by Michigan voters in the November election.

Previously, the Niles City Council voted in November to prohibit recreational marijuana from being sold inside city limits, with the option to later allow recreational marijuana sales once the city could further study the issue.

“The mayor has asked the planning commission to consider recreational marijuana in the city of Niles,” said Community Development Director Sanya Vitale. “The planning commission is making a recommendation to the city council — a positive recommendation.”

Much of the planning commission’s recommendation involves mirroring many of the zoning practices already set for medical marijuana. For example, the planning commission will recommend that the city only allow four provisioning centers — either medical or recreational — in the S. 11th Street corridor and will regulate growing operations to the Industrial Park area. Additionally, the commission will recommend that recreational marijuana businesses not be allowed downtown, with members saying that they want to encourage family activities and daycares downtown. They also noted that allowing marijuana facilities downtown may create an odor problem for individuals living in upstairs apartments downtown.

One difference in the recreational marijuana and the medical marijuana recommendations will involve microbusiness, a special license under the new law that allows for independently owned businesses that grow, process and sell their own marijuana. As these microbusinesses have the opportunity to grow marijuana, the planning commission is recommending that they be regulated to the Industrial Park.

Another difference is that the planning commission is recommending that part of Riverfront Park Central be zoned to allow for recreational marijuana use for festivals and other special events approved by the city council.

Vitale said the planning commission would formally adopt the recommendation at its next meeting later this month. From there, she said the city council could have it as early as its first meeting March. Should the council adopt the recommendation, Vitale expects that Niles could see a recreational marijuana business within its borders by the end of the year — even as early as six months.

“I do believe this can happen in Niles,” Vitale said. “But this is a recommendation. … [Is the city council when it receives the recommendation] going to take action? I don’t know.”